Fishing with a Net

Traditional fishing techniques now involve monofilament nets, with snorkelers diving down to ensure the bigger fish don't get away. Many people still fish traditionally along the eastern coast of Africa, catching fish by hand using nets and spears. But unregulated fishing practices are growing more common, including those that destroy habitat, such as dynamite fishing, and those that capture many more fish. In East Africa, "so rare are the sightings of larger fish species that we need to make specific notes on the observations of each individual or school of these groups we see," wrote biologist Caine Delacy in his blog about the destruction—and hope—for coral reefs along eastern Africa.